Best of 2008 (First Half)

Of all the albums I've heard so far in 2008, these are my favorites, beginning with the best:

The Dodos Visiter
Why? Alopecia
MGMT Oracular Spectacular
The Gutter Twins Saturnalia
The Kills Midnight Boom
Portishead Third
Los Campesions! Hold On Now Youngster
Hot Chip Made in the Dark
The Black Keys Attack & Release
Crystal Castles Crystal Castles
Adele 19
Atmosphere When Life Gives You Lemons, Paint That Shit Gold
M83 Saturday = Youth
Vetiver Thing of the Past
Mates of State Re-arrange Us
Justin Townes Earle The Good Life
Sigur Ros Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
Nine Inch Nails Ghosts I-IV
Black Mountain In the Future
Single Frame S F E P
Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes
Jamie Lidell Jim
The Notwist The Devil, You + Me
Sons and Daughters The Gift
Ladytron Velocefiro
Islands Arms Way
Santogold Santogold
Cat Power Jukebox
She & Him Volume One
Joan as Police Woman To Survive
Saul Williams The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust
Ssion Fool's Gold
Scarlett Johansson Anywhere I Lay My Head
Girl Talk Feed the Animals
Sun Kil Moon April

I've also complied a Muxtape of some of my favorite 2008 songs.

Best of 2008 (First Half) Preview

Later this week, I'll be posting a list of my favorite albums of the first half of 2008 (Released prior to July 1). Here's one album that will be on the list with some of my thoughts on it:




















Los Campesinos! Hold On Now, Youngster (87/100)

No album this year has more energy than the first full length from this band of what sounds like pre-teens. Song titles like "We Are All Accelerated Readers" hint otherwise. The internet-famous "You! Me! Dancing!" has been making the blog rounds for awhile, having been recorded like 12 times. The density of hooks, sonic layers, and meter changes is matched only by the rapid-fire quotability of the lyrics. Think of a younger, more energetic, punkier New Pornographers, maybe with a little Rainer Maria or similar emo-leaning indie pop.

Los Campesinos! official site
Download Hold On Now, Youngster from Emusic.
Buy Hold On Now, Youngster from Amazon.
Buy the LP on Insound.

This album and more will be on the upcoming list. You'll also get an updated Muxtape with some of the best songs of 2008.

My Muxtape

Stoplight Sleep now has a Muxtape. You can go there to hear recently blogged tracks, related songs, and whatever else is on my mind.

Pop on over here. While you're there, make your own Muxtape and post the link in the comments.

The current Muxtape features tracks from my last post on the Kills.